Improvement in harvesters



W. A. KIRBY.

HARVESTER.

No. 90,273. Patented May 18,1869.

idlttrd stuurt WILLIAM A. KIRBY, OF AUBURN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO HIM-SELF AND DAVID M. OSBORNE, OF SAME PLACE'.

Lette/rs Patent No. 90,273, dated May 18, 1869.

IMPROVEMENT IN HARVESTERS.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of thesame.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM A. KIRBY, oi' Auburn, in the county ofCayuga, and State of New York, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Harvesting-lilachines, and that the following is a full,clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, making a part of this specification, in which-Figure l represents a perspective view of the niachine.

Figure 2 represents a vertical section through the sam-e.

Figure 3 represents a detached portion of the machine, to show thepositions of the pitman-connection, when the finger-bar andcutting-apparatus is in working-position. and when it is"`0lded up fortransportation.

Similar letters ot reference, where they occur in the separate iigures,denote like parts of the machine in all of' the drawings.

My invention consists, first, in hinging the axleframe of aharvesting-machine, on which two drivingwheels are hung, to bearings, orbosses, through which the shaft, on which the ninions are placed,passes, or in which it turns.

My invention further consists incombining, with two hinged frames, andwith an adjustable stop, a;

hand-lever, for raising and lowering the cutters, and also for rollingthe finger-bar on the ground, lto raise or lower the points of theguards, as well asfor restraining these motions within properworking-bounds.

My invention further consists in combining, with two frames and atongue, hinged to each other', devices by which the joint between thetongue and the main frame, or the joint between the two frames, may berendered dexible or rigid, as occasion, or the character of the work tobe done may require.

My invention further consists in combining, with a two-wheeledharvesting-machine, whichhas two frames, hinged to each other, alever-seat, connected to both frames, and spanning the joint betweenthem, so that the driver in said lever-seat can properly balance themachine, and raise or lower the cutti 11g-apparatus at pleasurer Myinvention further consists in a pitmanconnection, which, when theiinger-bar and cutting-apparatus are i3 working-position, will drive thecutter, and which, when the finger-bar and cutters are folded up fortransportation, will cease to drive the cutters, though the pitmancontinues to run, or vibrate M y invention further consists incombining, with the inner shoe oi'a harvesting-machine, anindependentlyhung caster-wheel,,which shall run, when the machine isadvancing, directly in front of said inner shoe, to crowd down the grassor stubble, and make a track for said shoe, and serve all the purposesof a caster wheel, when the machine is being turned around.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I willproceed to describe the same,.with reference to the drawings.

A represents an axle-frame, on which the two car rying anddriving-wheels. B, are hung, and on whic they loosely run,

On bracketed arms on the axle-frame are boxes,.or bearings C, whichreceive a sleeve, boss, or hollow shaft, D, through which thepinion-shaft E passes, and in which it turns, as will be explained.

On each of the main wheels B, there is an interna gear, F, which gearsmesh into and turn the pinions c, one on each end of the shaft E.

Each of the ninions as a ratchet, or clutch, arranged in a clutch, orratchet-box, b, with which they respectively act, so as to b e fastwith,- or loose on, the shaft, as the machine may be advancing, or wheneither` main wheel is not turning, or is turning backward, when themachine is being turned around at the end of the swath, in the usualwell-known way The sleeve, or boss D, for the sake of convenience, iscast in two parts, an upper and an under part, or with a horizontaljoint, so as tn be readily put together, or taken apart, when necessary,for repairs; and

this boss forms a part of what constitutes the main frame G. i

On the upper half, or part of the sleeve D, is cast the upper half H ofthe case, or shell, which encloses the gearing; and on the under part ofthe sleeve is cast the lower part Hof said case, or shell, the twohalves, or parts forming a. close encaseinent of the gearing.

The under part of the boss, and the under part of the encasing-shell H,are a part of the main frame G, to which the axle-ii-ame A is hinged, asheretofore stated, by the bearings, or boxes 0,'whi1st the upperportions of t-he boss and of the case are more in the nature of caps tosuch under portions.

The tongue-plate I, to which the tongue J is 'fastened, is hinged to thefront of themain frame`G, as -ihown at c, so that there are two hingedconnections between the pole, or tongue, and the axlei`rame A, whilstsaid frame itself has a rising-and-falling motion, by means of itsjournals resting and rolling in the hubs ofthe main wheels B B.

All of these hinged connections, or motions are, however, controlled, orcontrollable, so that they may yield or he rigid, as will be hereafterexplained.

, To the downwardly-projecting portionsot'the main fra'meG, there ispivoted, as shown at d d, the inside shoe K, to which the linger-bar Lis attached; and this linger-bar is furnished with guards M, and acutter, N, in the usual way.

'lo thc after-portion of' the shoe K,`there is hinged one end of acolmecting-bar, or link, O; the other end ngersbar and cutters, andallow them to rest against the main irunc, as shown by the red line infig. 3, or any'less distance or height, for passing obstructions,

andlct them down again, at pleasure, and with com parativcly slightmanual effort.

'lhe crank-wheel 1t receives itsmotion through the gearing Yencasedinthe shells and portion oi' the main frame.

rlhe pitrnan y is connected, by a wrist, to the crankwheel, R, but,instead of extending thence directly to the cutters N,'it is pivoted, atIt, to a pendulum-rod, or hanger, t", that is pivoted, at j, to the mainframe. G, (or ektemled porticnof said ii'ame and from thehiugedconnection ath, a second 'pitnmm It, extends to, and is'connectedwiththe cutters N, by which, when in cnttingfposition,.they are vibrated.

"The pendulum, or hanger t', and the second pitman lc, should be oi'about the `saine length, so that when the finger-bar is foldedLlpagainst the main frame, as shown bythe rediliues in fig. 3, thetwo-l'iinged pit` m'eu, i la, will freely swing from, or upon their twopivoted points, i l 2', and without moving' the cutters, though the.main pitman g continues its motion.

The advantage oi' this pitmau-connectiou is, that the finger-bar and itsappliances (the cutters) maybe raisedand folded up, Withoutdisconnectingany ofthe gearing', 'or \vlrilst the rgearing and the main pitmaucontinue their'm'otions, the cutters, in that condition, hav ing nomotion, as it is all taken up in the two hinged pitmen,i It. v

When the inger-ba-r and cutters are lowered down into workingpositiomthe cutters are reciprocated again, without any aid, assistance, ore'l'ort oi' the attendant on themachine.

To the tongue-plate I, which isvhinged to the vmain frame at c,asheretot'ore described, there is permanently afxed a lever, S, whichextends rearward, so as to be readily seized by the operator in hisseat.

The level-S moves past or over a curved arc, T, furnished with-a seriesof-holes, 3, 4, 85e., said arc being' fastened to a :lug on the sleeveG, which sleeve is really a part oi' the-main i'yame of the machine.

The lever S has pivoted to it atb, a lever, l, which is seized by thehand of the operator when he g asps the main lever S, and, 'bycompressing his grip upon l the two, withdraws a bolt in theopposite endof the lever l, from "thehole in the arc, which it had for the timebeing occupied, and allows the lever S .tohe freely moved along or pastthe arc T.

When-the grip, 'or pressure upon the lever Z is removed, a spring, im,under the rear end of said lever, causes theV bolt, o`r stud at theother end to shoot into the 'first one of. th'e holes it comes. to inthe are, and there.permanently hold until again released.

The lever S, extcnding'iifom the pole J, and capable oi' being rigidlyunited tc'the are T, crosses, or spans the joint between the pole andthe main frame, which isfat c, so that, whenever the lever S is freefrom the arc, then there is a hinged connection between the pole andmain frame; and per contra, when tlnl leve-.r S is made `fast to thearc, then there is no joint between thc pole and main frame; or, inother words, the pole may be a rigid, or a loose, or .a hinged one, inconnection with the main frame, at pleasure, or as may be desired.

'llul object of' the'lever S and its connections, is to roll thefinger-bar and cutters in the line oi' their advzuming-motion over theground, seas to raise or lower the points oi' the guards, whilst theingvr-bar is moved along in contact with thc ground. `It is also usedfor raising up, or h wering the iinger-bar, or cutting-appar ratus,under other circumstances, as will be hereafter explained. I

On thealter-portion of the pcrinieter'of the shell, or case H H,.t .here is arib, or iiange, n, furnished with a series of holes, for thereception of pins, or bolts, and in the axle-frame A, there is a recess,or groove, through which this rib, or flange can move, or play.

When pins, o1" bolts are pnt into the holes in the rib, or flange n, asat 6 7, they define and limit the extent of the hinged motion betweenthe main frame and the axle-f`rame (for it will be remembered that thecase H H is substantially, if not really, a part, or por tion ofthe mainframe) to those two points. If, however, a pin, or bolt be put in thearc, one immediately below, and the other immediately above theaxle-frame, there will be no play, or motion between the two frames, sothat, by this rib, groove, and pin, or bolt-arrange-I ment, anyrequisite extent of hinged motion may be had between the two frames;or,.tl 1e hinged connection may be entirely changed to a rigid one, asoccasion, or the work to be done, may require.

When the connection bet-Ween the two frames is thus rendered rigid, thenthe lever S may be used as a raising-aud-lowering lever.

There is still another lever-connection between the two frames A Gr,viz, by means of the lever-seat U,

and its attachments thereto, and the shifting-position l of the weightof the occupant thereon.

'lhe front end of the lever-seat U, is hooked vto a stud, o, which isset in a bracket, p, which bracket is a part of, or fixed to, the mainframe.

At about the center in length of the seat bar, or level', there is atoggle,'or link, V, which can be set further back or forward, in saidbar, or lever, to change its fulcrum, at its upper end, whilst its lowerend is pivoted, or hinged totwo rigid arms, W W, on the axle-fraaie, sothat said bar, or lever has a hinged connection to the main frame, andan adjustable connection to, or with the axle-trame.

This bar, or lever Ucrosses, or spans the hinged connection between thetwo frames, and when said joint is not otherwise controlled, theoccupant of the seat can raise up or let down the main frame, atpleasure, that is, within working-limits.

As a general thing, the flexibility-between the two frames, especiallyin mowing grass, would always be required, in which case the lever-seatis very desirable, in easing, or .lifting the cutters over the smallerintervcning.obstructions in its path. But even when the two frames arerigidly connected together, the lever-seat is important in easing themachine over any irregularities in the ground, which the occupant of theseat can do, by simplyswaying his body backward or fbrward, the fulcrabeing adj usted te the weight of the driver.

To the tong`ue-plate l, there is attached a bent arm, X, which projectsoutward towardV the standing grain, and downward toward a point in theline of the inner shoeli;l and in the end of this arm X, there is placeda caster-wheel, Y, which, when the machine is cutting, -runsimmediatelyiu front of the inner shoe, and beats down, or bears down,the grass or stubble, where the shoe is to run, thus making a path forit to move in, without riding up, and thus pressing up the cutters.

'When the machine is being turned around, this easter-whevlv Y performsthe usual duty of a caster-wheel, in taking much of the weight andstrain of the machine, and very much casing the team in turning.

This duty, a bearing-wheel, placed in the front of the shoe, would notdo, whilst a caster-wheel will.

.Having thus fully described my invention,

` pinions remain in gear with the drive-wheels, as described andrepresented.

2. Also, in combination with'the two frames, hinged together, andcontrolled in the extent of their motion, by an adjustable stop,arranged between said frames,

a hand-lever, for raising or lowering, or for rolling thenger-bar in theline of its advancing movement, to

raise or lower the points ofthe guards, andfor `the I purpose described.l

3. Also, in combination with the axle and the main frames, and a tongue,or pole, hinged to each other,

the herein-dcscribed special devices, by which either,- or all of saidhinged joints, may be madeY rigid or ilex-k ible, as may be desired.

4. Also, in combinat'on with a two-wheeled harvest- 'ing-machine, whichhas two frames, hinged to each other, a lever-seat, connected to bothframes, and spanning the joint between, softhat the driver in said seatmay, with the lever S, raise and lower the cuttngapparat-us, as and forthe purpose described.

5.Also, in combination with a pitman, a. pitmanconnection, which willdrive the cutters, when they are in working-position, and cease to drivethe cutter, When the finger-bar is folded up for transportation, whilstthe pitman continues to work,4 substantially as described.

6. In combination with a fngerbar, so lhinged to the, inner sho'e asthat it may be folded up against andA carried by the main frame, acaster-wheel, canried hy an arm, or support, independent of said shoe,but

. so thatI its journal, or turning-centre Shall be in the line of thccentres on which the ringer-bar swings,vand

in advance of said centres, so thatwhilst the linger-bar is fice to befolded up, the caster-wheel shallseve to roll down the grass irt'advauceof the sho'e, and serve the purpose of va caster-wheel, when the machineis being turned around, thewhole Mingaccornplished by an arrangement oi'devices, such as h'erein described and represented.

' WM. KIRBY. 1 Witnesses J. WRIGHT, JOSEPH Dnnme.

